10 players who might join free-agent pool soon

Friday at 8 p.m. ET marks the deadline for teams to “tender” a contract for the 2025 season to players who are under club control. These are players on the 40-man roster who have not accrued enough service time to become eligible for free agency.

If the club opts not to do so, it “non-tenders” the player, who becomes a free agent and then can sign with any of the 30 teams.

Some notable players who were non-tendered after the 2023 deadline include Brandon Woodruff (Brewers), Jacob Stallings (Marlins), Tim Hill (Padres), Osvaldo Bido (Pirates) and Spencer Turnbull (Tigers). All moved on to join other teams except Woodruff, who re-signed with Milwaukee on a two-year deal in February while rehabbing from right shoulder surgery.

With input from MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand, here is a list of some of the more interesting non-tender candidates to watch ahead of Friday’s deadline.

Griffin Canning, SP, Braves
The Braves acquired Canning from the Angels in the Jorge Soler trade on Oct. 31, but that swap was more about getting Soler’s contract off the books than anything else. After recording a 5.19 ERA with a 1.97 K/BB ratio over 171 2/3 innings in 2024, Canning is not a lock to be tendered a contract by the Braves in his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Dylan Carlson, OF, Rays
Once a highly touted prospect with the Cardinals, Carlson finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success, slashing .225/.309/.341 (84 OPS+) over the past three years. Carlson’s time with St. Louis came to an end in '24 when he was traded to the Rays for veteran reliever Shawn Armstrong in July. He ended up with a career-low .563 OPS and -1.2 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) between the Cardinals and Rays.

Dane Dunning, SP/RP, Rangers
After leading the Rangers in innings (172 2/3) and posting a 3.70 ERA in 2023, Dunning had a rocky '24 campaign. The 29-year-old made multiple trips to the injured list with a right shoulder issue, lost his rotation spot in June and was optioned to Triple-A in August. All told, he made 26 appearances (15 starts) on the year and had a 5.31 ERA.

Trent Grisham, OF, Yankees
Grisham played sparingly after being traded from the Padres to the Yankees in the Juan Soto blockbuster last December, amassing just 209 plate appearances in 2024. The 28-year-old is a superb defender with two Gold Glove Awards on his resume, but he has slashed .191/.298/.353 (84 OPS+) over the past three seasons.

Austin Hays, OF, Phillies
In need of more right-handed thump in their outfield this past summer, the Phillies swung a Trade Deadline deal with the Orioles for Hays, who hit 54 home runs across 2021-23. The move didn’t work out, however, as Hays recorded only two homers with a .672 OPS over 22 games in a Philadelphia uniform. That said, he still finished with an OPS+ over 100 (101) for the fourth straight year.

Jordan Romano, RP, Blue Jays
Romano had an excellent run as the Blue Jays’ closer from 2021-23, collecting 95 saves in that span while posting a 2.37 ERA with an 11.1 K/9. But the 2024 campaign was a different story for the 31-year-old, who recorded a 6.59 ERA over 15 appearances before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in July.

Patrick Sandoval, SP, Angels
Sandoval was one of the Angels’ best starters in 2022, recording a 2.91 ERA with a 9.1 K/9 over 27 starts, but he struggled over the past two seasons (4.45 ERA, 4.4 BB/9) before undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace in June. The lefty could miss most of 2025.

Leody Taveras, OF, Rangers
Taveras established himself as the Rangers’ everyday center fielder in 2023, finishing the regular season with 2.6 bWAR and a 101 OPS+ and starting all 17 playoff games during the team's run to a World Series championship. He received regular playing time again in 2024 but produced just 0.5 WAR and an 84 OPS+, putting the 26-year-old’s future with the team in question.

Ramón Urías, INF, Orioles
Urías has been a useful player for the Orioles during his five-year career, winning a Gold Glove Award at third base in 2022 and hitting .262 with 39 homers, a .736 OPS and a 108 OPS+ over 429 games. However, the O's glut of infielders could make Urías and/or Jorge Mateo expendable, with Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Ryan Mountcastle, Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo all on the roster.

Mike Tauchman, OF, Cubs
Tauchman’s discerning eye has helped him reach base at a .360 clip for the Cubs over the past two seasons, but he doesn’t offer much beyond that. The Cubs also aren’t lacking in outfield options, with Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong all in the mix for playing time.